Bye bye, Tocai After years of wrangling over rights to use the name, the classic local white wine of Friuli in Northeastern Italy has definitively dropped “Tocai” from the wine label, succumbing to claims of unfair appropriation by the makers of the great Hungarian dessert wine Tokaji. It has taken a while, but bottles of [...]Read Full Article →

These terrific values—all under $ 25—from the heart of France will put Chardonnay back on your list of favorites. Published on Sep 28, 2012 By Roger Voss Ask any high flyer about white Burgundy , and you will hear that it’s love in a bottle and not worth drinking unless it’s priced at $ 100, $ [...]Read Full Article →

Midnight on the Mall Featuring the best of autumn’s festive flavors, this rum-based drink pays tribute to our nation’s capital. Published on Sep 27, 2012 By Nevin Martell Bryan Tetorakis, cheftender at Washington, D.C.’s Rogue 24, imbues this rummy, autumnal ambrosia with the favored flavors of the season—clove, cinnamon and juniper berry—then tops it off [...]Read Full Article →

Wine Advisor and Extra … ordinary Vin ordinaire … try to say it as the French do and you can almost hear the snobbery dripping from your voice. Who wants wine advisor extra … ordinary? Sometimes “ordinary” simply means “customary,” “usual” or just plain “normal,” something we enjoy every day when everything is [...]Read Full Article →

Italy’s secluded heartland is a verdant region full of vinous opportunities. Published on Sep 11, 2012 By Monica Larner Discovering Umbria – Wine Enthusiast Magazine The only Italian region without access to either the sea or international borders, Umbria is a solitary and soulful world apart. Often overshadowed by neighboring Tuscany and Lazio, this lush [...]Read Full Article →

Northern Rhône Syrah In the Northern Rhône, where Syrah is the lone red grape variety, the differences in style between the two years are dramatic. As Michel Chapoutier told me last year as we tasted through barrel samples of his 2010s, 2009 is a year that shows the season’s warmth and ripeness, while in 2010, the [...]Read Full Article →

Worldwide Sauvignon Blanc Following directly on the heels of last month’s Wine Focus on New Zealand, which naturally put a lot of Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc on the table, let’s make the logical move from this into a study of Sauvignon Blanc around the world as our Wine Focus topic for September. Sauvignon Blanc wins fans [...]Read Full Article →

A Night Out with Jimmy Stafford A Night Out with Jimmy Stafford, guitarist for the rock band Train tells Wine Enthusiast’s Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen about the band’s latest winemaking endeavor and their foray into the meals business. Published on Aug 30, 2012 By Mike DeSimone and Jeff JenssenRead Full Article →